Anything
by Glerb
Summary: MATURE. Takes place after the war. A little Naruto/Hinata lovin'. Konoha is filled with people who are precious to Naruto. Particularily Hinata, his love. What would Naruto do if his love was threatened? What would Naruto do for his love?
1. Chapter 1

**Eeep! Why hello there! I am Glerb and this is my first time, so be gentle. ;) This story is MATURE. So if you are under 18 turn back now! Or you will never be able to regain your innocence. So far, I am thinking that this is just a little one-shot. Kind of a practice run, testing the waters and all. However, if anyone actually reads, enjoys, reviews, and encourages it to grow then I am willing to try! **

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO. **

Ice cold eyes stared into softening bright blue ones. The door was still slightly ajar allowing the cold air to seep into the once warm kitchen space. The cold draft however, was not responsible for the chill quickly running marathons up and down Naruto's spine.

Eyes that used to only be capable of warm loving gazes and shy wilting looks were waging a war on the blond now. It didn't take very long for Naruto to submit and poor his bowl of wondrously delicious ramen down the sink and rinse thoroughly to rid the kitchen of any trace.

"We talked about this, Naruto," came the uncharacteristically angry voice. Even with so much anger in it, it was still silky and smooth.

Naruto gave a sheepish smile in hopes of getting one in return and when the woman only continued glaring he approached her with necessary caution and apologetic eyes. He gently wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his body.

"I know, sweetheart, I know," he cooed in her ear and started to sway them gently, "it's just that I thought you wouldn't be home for a little longer."

She became rigid in his arms and he immediately stilled in regret. Apparently that had been the wrong thing to say. For the past few months doing and saying the wrong thing had become a serious problem for Naruto. He had always had the habit but this was the first time in his life he noticed just how much of a problem it really was.

He knew that part of becoming Hokage would mean learning some tact but he had a sneaking suspicion that his relationship required much more tact than his future position ever would. The wrath of the little woman in his arms was far more intimidating than his allies' probable anger at his fumbling of words.

The soft woman ripped herself from his grasp and stalked away toward the door without even looking back. Naruto stood entirely still and gaping. What to do? She grabbed a scarf and turned to leave the way she had come.

"Wait, honey," Naruto began softly but stopped when she spun around quickly and pinned him with a glare that would put the Uchiha to shame. Naruto's voice froze as he contemplated his options.

"What?!" she huffed angrily placing a hand on her hip, accentuating the delicious curve of her body and her protruding tummy in her lavender dress. She wasn't bursting yet, but every time he looked at her his tongue would go numb and he couldn't help but get lost in everything that was her. His beautiful Hinata, mother to his unborn child, and the perfect match to his soul.

She was so fucking hot when she was mad! Naruto was staring intently at her pouted pink lips. Just imagining how they felt all over his body, swallowing him and how her lashes would bat as she looked up to him.

Wait! He thought, No, Hina is mad! But gosh those lips…

His eyes grazed from her pouting lips to her soft neck being wrapped in a pale gray scarf and he was distracted by the way her deft hands plucked stray hairs out of the scarf and smoothed the long raven locks down the delicious curve of her back.

He had never had a great attention span to begin with.

Naruto was unconsciously moving forward when Hinata called him again angrily. His eyes immediately snapped to Hinata's and she paused in her angry huffing and stared into his eyes like a deer caught in the headlights.

How long had it been? He had been so busy and when he was with her he was taking careful care of her and he hadn't had a chance recently to _really be with her_. Not the way his body was screaming for him to be with her now.

"N-na Naruto!" she tried to hold onto her righteous anger but her determination weakened at the sight of the dark hunger in her lover's gaze. The predatory gleam had her traitorous body singing with unrestrained lust. To have him look at her this way when she felt as big as a house, and her feet were swollen, and she was always so damn moody! and snapping at him like a she-witch! and then he would look at her like this and—and she'd melt entirely. Like a sweet popsicle left out in the hot sun, all sticky and wet.

Her stuttering his name sent a shock to his already aching dick. She didn't usually stutter anymore and Naruto tried as often as he could to frazzle her to the point where she couldn't help the adorable speech impediment from resurfacing. It pissed her off, but Naruto loved her pissed, he loved her any way he could get her.

Her face went from red with anger to flushed with heat and she took a careful step back as the predator advanced on her with the grace of a hunter. She loved when he got like this, so wild and out of control. She immediately felt guilt for all her hormonal attacks of anger lately. She was constantly angry with him, pushing him away, and all he ever did was smile and apologize in that wonderfully adorable way that managed to only make her angrier. She was awful and he was always spoiling her. He practically encouraged it!

She was backing up nervously until her back was to the front door that led into their kitchen and sitting room. He was directly in front of her and the only part of them that was touching was her slightly protruding belly and his straining groin. She looked up into his face, so open and adoring, his gaze filled with need; she couldn't help but swell with guilt at how horrible she had been. She looked away quickly and he froze for a moment his arms half raised and reaching around her. He moved his body and positioned so they weren't touching but were somehow still closer than before.

He leaned in past her face so she could no longer see his gleaming blue eyes and placed his mouth over her ear breathing softly.

"I _am_ sorry, my love," he whispered with such sweet sincerity in her ear that her heart felt like it was breaking, "I know I only make things harder for you. I know the smell of ramen makes you queasy, and you don't like the scratchy feel of your hair against your neck, and that right about now your back starts to hurt right here."

He placed his hand against her lower back above her bottom and began gently kneading the area.

"and that your feet are swollen and you don't really want to go outside right now in the cold. So please, stay and I promise to be good."

His tall frame was bowed over her as he massaged her, only touching her back and leaning his head on her soft shoulder, nuzzling into the gray scarf. Everything about their touching now was of chaste comfort, but Hinata could still feel the strain their proximity was having on both of them.

"Oh, Naruto," she sighed her head falling to the side until it met his and she kissed the top of his silky golden hair. At the contact he reached past her and swiftly locked their front door. He then pulled back enough to reach his hand to gently untie and unravel her gray scarf revealing the column of her pail and delicate neck to his gaze. He tenderly moved his hand across her neck sweeping her hair away and up.

He then swooped down so swiftly she hadn't time to react and her limbs awkwardly flailed around her pudgy stomach and she giggled despite her-self as he picked her up as if she was as light as a feather.

"Naruto!" she giggled in weak protest as he smiled down at her, carrying her to their bedroom like he had on their wedding night.

"What would you like love?" he asked with a mischievous smile that made her melt inside, "a foot rub? Full body massage? Hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon? I could make cookies too."

He placed her in the middle of the bed on a throne of pillows meant for her and he maneuvered her shoes off of her sore feet without having to be asked. He kissed each delicate foot before placing it back on the bed and moving back up to her face hovering above her. His face was contemplative as he thought of different things he could get for her.

"I could make you all your favorite desserts! We have flour and sugar and chocolate!" His excitement at the idea was so bright and childish that her smile grew as well, in an imitation of the one now dwarfing her love's face.

She snorted and tried to cover her face immediately at the noise but kept laughing anyway.

"You could not!" she was giggling at the idea, "you would set the house on fire!"

He looked back to her with a mock frown that turned into a true blue Naruto grin as he took in her giggling face.

"For you I could do anything," he laughed brushing the bangs out of her face but she could hear the very serious promise in his words, his gaze turned serious as he took in her appearance, he was staring long and hard like all the answers to all of his problems were in her eyes. Suddenly their bedroom was quiet accept for both of their breathing.

"What?" she whispered fidgeting. She would never quite get used to the way Naruto looked at her. The way he _really _looked and saw her completely. She hoped she never did.

"You," he whispered and his eyes smiled while the rest of his face held complete awe and reverence. His hand tentatively touched her stomach and then he pressed it more firmly feeling the life within, "you are absolutely perfect."

Hinata's face flushed further and she placed a delicate palm over his on her stomach. There they were on their bed, in their house, both feeling their child growing from the combined strength of their love and she believed him.

To Naruto she _was_ perfect and he would really do, be, or get _anything_ for her. It was such an overwhelming moment to her that she felt tears prickle in her eyes and roll down her cheeks onto her neck, of course it could have been her ridiculous flailing hormones. Naruto watched the tears dissent avidly, he leaned forward and kissed their tracks from her neck up to her fluttering eye lids.

"I only ever want you to cry like this, with such a happy expression, and so much love," he whispered reverently trying not to break their spell of peace.

When he tried to move back she gripped his head holding him at eye level with her. She smiled shyly at him knowing exactly what such a half lidded gaze would do to her Naruto.

"I know what I want," she whispered into the mingling air between them.

"Anything."

"Kiss me, Naru."

She had the distinct pleasure of watching the blue of his wide eyes shrink as his pupils dilated and his lips parted as a gush of wind left him and fanned her lashes and cheeks, his resolve faltered and he searched her face as he lowered his whiskered cheeks until their lips met.

He initiated a gentle and sweet kiss that Hinata quickly took over, she courageously traced Naruto's warm wide lips with her soft pink tongue and he groaned opening his mouth and allowing Hinata entrance. She attacked full heartedly and Naruto struggled to control himself and preserve the little sanity he had managed to conjure back in the kitchen before he jumped his delicate and pregnant wife.

She wasn't having any of it though. Her arms which had been grazing his well-toned back through the layers of his clothes suddenly grasped his green vest and tugged snapping the careful hold he had and bringing the two into intimate contact. His bulging erection was straining through his pants and her dress against her round tummy. Her breasts pressed against him snuggly through their clothes; suddenly they both felt very over dressed for the occasion.

He made sure to keep as much weight as he could on his knees that were straddling the woman he loved lest he crush her and his child with his fervor to be buried inside her torturous warmth. He had moved from the kiss to sucking on her wondrously sweet neck. His nipping and sucking became less playful and more ravenously possessive by the second. She only egged him on with pants and moans for more and the occasional tug on his wild hair and his now disheveled uniform.

"Please," she whispered as she tugged on his vest zipper caught between them with anger. She couldn't get a grip on the damn thing and stay connected to her love at the same time. Naruto groaned into her neck making her give a full body shiver and soft moan in return. Naruto sat up on his knees and looked down at his pleading wife with unsure eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked uncertain of his ability to give her what she wanted without unintentionally causing her or the baby some kind of harm. But even his concern couldn't hide the deep seated need, he wanted this too, "but your back might hurt you later, sweety."

Naruto watched as she pouted through her panting. The look on her face! He nearly lost it and jumped her at the sight. His sweet, sexy girl panting and pouting up at him her lavender eyes begging for his touch.

"But you promised," she whispered seductively, "you promised I could have anything. All I want is you."

"Don't move a muscle," Naruto's voice was a growl and instantly he was tearing off his vest and moving away from the grinning woman to remove the rest of his burdensome clothing. When he was entirely nude he glided over her still clothed form and watched her blushing grinning face take him in. He could nearly feel her gaze like caressing fingertips across his body. His body hummed in memory of her touch and painful anticipation, however this wasn't about Naruto. It was about the beautiful woman pinned under him.

She began to raise her hands from her sides, reaching for Naruto but he was quick to halt her movement. He pinned her arms to her sides in gentle but unmovable restraints. She looked into his eyes questioningly and Naruto grinned back with a mischievous twinkle that took her breath away. She cursed him for his ability to control her so completely with one look, but to be fair she knew it was a power she too possessed.

"I hadn't given you permission to move, love," he whispered and leaned forward to peck her lips. The way he held her arms immobilized her in place and she wasn't able to trap him in the kiss. He quickly moved away from her lips and kissed down her neck, stopping occasionally to lave at her sweet spots, then he nuzzled the skin just above the neckline of her dress, the oversensitive skin of her heavy breasts. She already had generous proportions before the pregnancy and now Naruto was barely capable of coming up for air from them.

"So much clothes on," he whispered into the sensitive skin there and she shivered and gave an involuntary whimper. She could feel his grin pressing into her flesh and her face heated again.

"Naruto," her voice was breathy and pleading. She didn't have to voice what she wanted; Naruto always knew what she needed. He sat up over her and pulled her into a reclined position over her throne of pillows until she was nearly sitting up.

"Let's see you, love," his generally bright blue eyes were darkened and his gaze heavy over her had her aching to be exposed for him. He scooted back and away from her, giving her a warning look when she attempted to follow his movements.

From the edge of the bed he began tugging on the warm legging like pants she wore under her dress. He skimmed his hands across her long wonderful legs until he reached the hem under her skirt purposely avoiding any overly sensitive areas then he bent her legs one at a time and pulled the pants off. Naruto was suddenly mesmerized by the new skin of her creamy legs before him. His hands became glued to them, he cupped her calves in his palms and slid his hands to the sensitive underside of her knees, making her squirm under his feather light touch. As he moved upward he took the edge of the dress up with him.

He traced his hands over the inside of her silky smooth thighs and she watched his face with anticipation as he explored. She was chewing a whole through her lip. He slid his hands to her outer thigh and moved upward taking the skirt with it and met hip without obstruction. She was bared before him; he froze and his intense dark gaze met her eyes and she felt as if his gaze had struck her like lightning. Her insides coiled under the intensity and she quivered in anticipation.

One of his hands glided in feather like touches around her hip to her lower belly in agonizing slow motions.

"My love?" his voice alone was going to be her undoing the way it dropped to such a low tremble, "I believe someone has been awfully naughty."

Hinata whimpered as his feather light touch hovered above her hot wet mound, not yet touching.

"Such a naughty girl, my love, to be angry with me today when you wanted this all along, didn't you?" his voice was a whisper and a growl and she couldn't look away from his heated gaze.

"Here, I was thinking you needed some space, or a foot rub, maybe some sweets, and all my sweet girl wanted a spanking didn't she?" his words and inaction were driving Hinata mad and she was squirming uncomfortably and praying for friction, "Why else would you not be wearing any panties?"

As he finished his hand cupped her naked pussy with a pressure that had her straining. She needed him inside her five minutes ago and he was dragging this out to torture her. His thumb slipped into the slit and flicked at her swollen nub with precise and slow movements rubbing her into a frenzy. He looked her right in the eyes with such a hungry gaze that she couldn't break free. His long middle finger slipped in and circled her tight entrance teasingly without entering.

"Naruto!" she hissed and panted her eyes pleading and demanding, "I want you inside me, now!"

Naruto removed his hand from the hot wet core and licked the juices off his palm and fingers with an animalistic grin. His teeth more a set of razor sharp fangs than when he was younger, his cheek bones were sharped and his chin harder, all together he looked much more wild, it was believable now that he had the nine tail demon inside him. He lifted her and had the dress off in a lighting quick motion and her bra disappeared within seconds.

He was hovering over her and at her entrance before she could blink. His face was over hers; their breath mingling, he crashed his lips to hers and pulled back to whisper into her open mouth.

"_Anything_."

In one swift motion he was buried inside of her to the hilt their bodies connecting in the most intimate of ways though he was careful to keep any pressure off of her stomach and the precious cargo within. She had no idea how he showed the control necessary but was grateful he did, because she wouldn't have been able to.

She lost any bit of sanity she had left at the first torturous plunge of his manhood into her pliant core. She had feared she was too small but they made it work somehow and work it did. His long drags and the twist of his hips had her legs wrapping around him, her arms trying to pull him against her until they merged into one entity.

His panting in her ear urged even louder noises from her throat.

"Hina, Hina, Hina, Hinata" he whispered a mantra like prayer to her and she clawed at his muscled back sucking in air.

"Oh gosh Naru!" she shouted as one of his hands slipped between them and began rubbing at her sensitive spot in time to his thrusts. It felt as if he had barely made contact before her body froze, her breath hitched as she stilled at the precipice.

"NARUTO!" and she fell, her body releasing a flush of juices around the rock hard member lodged deep within her.

He held her gently rocking in time with her aftershocks until her breathing returned and he pulled out his still hard dick, groaning himself.

Hinata whimpered at the loss and tried to hold him in place but he grabbed her arms and placed them by her sides and kissed her sweaty brow.

"Love, it'll be too much for you and the baby," he whispered breathlessly trying to sound strong in the decision but Hinata knew him well enough that she could still persuade him otherwise with the right inspiration, "shush now and get some rest."

"Naruto," she said his name with such need that the man groaned, his eyes closed tight his own forehead pressed to hers, "Naruto, I want to please you too, baby."

There naked and straining between her legs Naruto tried to muster his abundance of self-control that he had gained over the years in training and meditation. An abundance that seemed as small as an ant before a boot when faced with the natural force that was Hinata. He shook his head against her's, his eyes still screwed shut so he wouldn't have to see how convincing she would look naked wet and pleading, still flushed from her last orgasm and obviously pregnant with his child. The damn woman was a weapon, she should work for Ibiki with her abilities to persuade a fish to fly.

"N-n-naruto," she whispered and his grip on her hands loosened in his defeat. He couldn't deny her, not ever. His eyes slowly opened and he was struck by the victorious grin on his love. Her hands placed themselves on his sides and she used him to scoot closer to him in an adorable awkward way, squirming her hips and making her breasts, which were glistening with a light sheen of sweat, sway and jiggle in a way that had him gulping.

How did he even think for one second he could resist?

One hand traced down his side and over his hip to his tattoed stomach. She traced the swirling image with feather light touches as if he were delicate before grasping his straining man hood more tightly than would be comfortable for your average man, or shinobi. Luckily he wasn't your ordinary man or shinobi. His eyes had been so focused on the hand now slowly pumping his aching member between them that he hadn't noticed the hand that had moved upward and was now gripping his chin. She forced his gaze up to her eyes and in them he saw hard determination.

"You said anything," her voice was hard, "I don't want you to cum." Naruto's eyes immediately bulged at the demand and a devious smile whispered across her lips as she rubbed his crying tip with a small thumb.

"I don't want you to cum unless you are buried. Hilt deep. Inside me," she demanded now rocking her hips absently to the thrusting of her hand and Naruto thought he was going to break his promise and cum there all over her hand and stomach but his will hardened with his cock and he nodded.

His hands went to her hips lifting her gently and positioning her above his shaft as she angled it with her own hand at her entrance.

"Naruto," she whined when he waited for reassurance and he knew that was all he was going to get from her so he began slowly lowering her into his lap, torturing himself with the gentle pace. When she was seated on him completely he let go of her briefly to fist his hands behind her back. His nails dug into his palms to burn the excess tension as he grit his fanglike teeth. The raven haired woman threw her head back and began lifting herself slowly and impaling herself on him in increasing tempo; his entire body was rigid with pleasure.

Their skin slapped and her breasts bounced with each thrust. Naruto couldn't handle just sitting and watching her driving him absolutely insane with every bit of her delicious swaying body.

He moaned and dove face first into her breasts instantly capturing a nipple in his mouth. The oversensitive peak was hard against his laving and sucking mouth. One hand was on her back for support as he began thrusting up to meet her and his other hand massaged and kneaded her other swollen breast.

"Na, Na, Naru, t-t-TO!" her body bent over his. Her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders holding his head to her chest.

He growled into her breasts making her quake and her pace become uneven. He switched breasts and gave them his equal attention. Her body was soaring again and Naruto could feel the vice of her tight wet heat begin to quiver and he pulled back holding her just below her breasts his hands nearly encasing her torso as she writhed atop him but her refused to slow his pace.

He continued pumping into her as the ever tightening coil within her snapped and tore his name from her lips. He pumped through the near painfully tight passage as she fell and her aftershocks began. He leaned in and bit her neck where it met her shoulder, growling her name like an animal. She came again as his dick twitched and he finally stilled with one last hard thrust up into her.

Buried to the hilt in her clenching pussy he came hard. His hot semen releasing deep within her as his and her juices mingled and spilled around his member out of the too small passage. She slumped against his frame and he held her gently as they caught their breath. He gently brushed her now messy long raven hair away from her sweaty neck and back.

"Oh," she panted in a weak dazed voice that brought Naruto out of his own haze and forced him to scan his wife with concern, "oh, Naruto."

He was lifting her from his lap his flaccid member slipping out and allowing the surplus of juices to coat him. They both groaned as he cradled her to him while maneuvering to lie her back down on her thrown of pillows.

When she was back in place she gripped his shoulder feebly as he surveyed that damage with still heavy lidded eyes.

"Naruto," she sighed in satisfaction while stretching her legs and back in her place, "I wouldn't mind that foot rub and I think I want a bath, with bubbles."

He looked at her with adoring eyes and a smile so bright and happy that she was sure he could light the whole of fire country with it.

"Of course," he chuckled sweetly at his love, "anything. I love you."

**Wow! Read the whole thing? Thanks! Any sort of encouragemant or criticism is appreciated. (Of course I would say that, I haven't actually ever recieved any criticism on my writing yet.) Tell me whatcha think and try to remember this is my first story ever. Don't crush my innocent naivety with uncouth insults on my person. :P Oh and Beta, anyone? Experience or no, hit me up!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I got reviews! And favorites and such. There may not have been many but one person wanting me to continue this is enough for me. So I whipped up a plot that I hope all readers will enjoy. This particular chap doesn't have a lemon **** I know, so sad. However, there will be more so keep reading. Also, a special shout out to Jupitrie, nolanv3, Umayar, and ShepardsShadow. Thanks for your reviews and PMs you guys are the shining light in my dismal life. Glerb is eternally grateful for your encouraging words. **

Damn, he was going to be late, again. Damn the council and all of their stupid old fart rules, regulations, and useless advice. Naruto had struggled all day to not rasengan the room into oblivion and escape the "lesson". Spending countless hours on end listening to old people prattle on about everything from standard mission assignment procedure to how long would be appropriate to wait to begin eating at a dinner with other high ranked individuals was a supreme waste of time.

Half the things they were teaching him were so completely useless that he wondered how anything ever got done with all the time spent on etiquette. They were shinobi damn it! Not ballerinas. It didn't matter if he was the first to enter a room or if he let a secretary in first, and who cares which table space he places his chopsticks on after he was finished eating? No one was going to be insulted if he placed them in his empty bowl!

Who was going to be angry with Naruto was his wife. He had said he would be home at a specific time tonight after she had gotten fed up with the hours he had been keeping.

He had been so busy and hadn't been paying much attention to how late he got home or how early he left. The closer they got to the official Hokage commencement ceremony the more stuff Naruto had to do and the less time he got to spend with Hinata. He had even less time to sleep. Tsunade promised that once he was actually Hokage he would have more time since the council wouldn't be able to but in with so much frivolous stuff like they were now.

Really stupid, waste of time, and fluff stuff, in Naruto's opinion at least.

Naruto looked up to the starry sky and frowned; the moon light cast a pallid cast on Naruto's face revealing dark circles under his tired eyes. He just wanted to be home already and wrapped up in his sheets cocooned around his perfect wife.

The thought made him pause. Maybe, if he sprinted, he could make it home on time. Naruto had said he would be there and he was nothing if not a man of his word. Plus a nice run on a cold night like this might invigorate him a bit; help shake the frustration and exhaustion away. He jumped up to a nearby rooftop and sped off in the direction of their house.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the brisk air whipping by at impossible speeds while allowing his feet to lead him to his love. In the hours they spent apart he had begun to miss her. He missed her soft eyes, encouraging smiles, gentle hands, silky voice. He often found himself day dreaming about running his hands through her beautiful long raven hair or over her now very obvious baby bump.

Whenever people saw her they immediately congratulated her, causing her to flush deliciously. His lovely Hinata.

Before he knew it he was at their front door, a dopey grin plastered onto his face and all of the day's anxieties and previous exhaustion entirely forgotten.

He threw the door open with a recalled vigor that he naturally assumed with his wife. He couldn't help himself around her.

"Hina, I'm home!" he exclaimed and laughed at himself.

His laughter was abruptly cut off when he spotted his wife's tense back seated hunched over at the kitchen table, her foot tapping on the wood flooring. She had been on edge for a while now; Naruto figured it was a mixture of the upcoming hokage ceremony and the whole baby thing. It was certainly enough to keep him on his toes.

She had struggled a bit with what she would do with herself at first. She refused to stop working and Naruto didn't want to make her. She began helping in the missions office when she could sneak in and even volunteering at the school. That had seemed to be helping with her unease but something must have happened. This was definitely a posture of agitation.

He gulped audibly and checked the clock.

He had made it home on time, barely, but on time.

He had made her breakfast and kissed her goodbye this morning; he had even wrapped up the leftovers and left them for her instead of taking them for his own lunch.

Was there something special today that he had forgotten?

No anniversary or birthday.

Was there a doctor appointment today? Naruto ticked off his fingers carefully, panicked a second, and then relaxed.

No the appointment was in two days, that was close.

"Hinata?" called Naruto and he saw her shoulders relax slightly and her foot stop tapping, "babe, is there something wrong?"

She immediately winced and her hand went to her stomach; Naruto tripped forward in instant worry.

The Baby.

"Honey, is it the baby? Are you feeling all right?" he rushed over and around the table so he could see her face, "Sakura or Tsunade could be here in fifty five seconds and I could get you to the hospital in a second, love."

When he had rounded her chair she had lowered her head allowing her bangs cover the majority of her face. Naruto was in full blown panic mode and he hadn't really noticed her demeanor past the wincing and hunched shoulders. He was too busy thinking of everything that could have gone terribly terribly wrong.

"Oh God," Naruto gasped, "Are you going into labor? Seven months! Wait, no. It's okay, they say if you are early that it's better for the baby to come during the seventh rather than the eighth. Some development issues with the eighth. Just breathe, babe, I will go get the bag."

Naruto's voice was fluctuating between high pitched to low and he was speaking a mile a minute one second, to complete. Pause. Stop. Breathe. Speak. the next.

Hinata's eyes flew wide as she witnessed her husband going completely unhinged before her solely based off of her one moment of silence and a wince.

She had had a bad day but not nearly as bad as Naruto was thinking. The poor man was so high strung lately that Hinata was sure he was going to have a heart attack; now she only felt worse for adding to his stress. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Naruto," she said calmly and he continued off to their bedroom to get her labor bag that he had so lovingly over packed with the most ridiculous and unnecessary items. They wouldn't be going on vacation for a month when the baby came.

"Naruto!" she shouted more forcefully stopping her harried hubby in his tracks, "honey, everything is fine. I had just zoned out for a second. Please come back, I made dinner."

Naruto slowly turned and noticed for the first time that there was in fact a spread of delicious foods fit for a king on the table before his wife.

Then he looked up at her and saw the small reassuring smile on her lips but she wasn't looking him in the eyes. In fact, her bangs were still hanging over them, blocking her pretty lavender eyes from his gaze.

"Are you sure?" he asked cautiously.

She sighed.

"I am positive that I am not going into labor," she added quietly.

He was blushing a bit at his own reaction. Perhaps he should tone it down a bit.

He frowned but sat down at the table across from her. He was desperate to know what was bothering her yet he wanted her to be comfortable when she told him. He knew how she worked, the longer she agonized over it the more she would want to tell him, and by the looks of the extensive dinner she had been agonizing over this one quite a bit.

Naruto lifted the serving spoon and looked over to Hinata.

"How much do you want?" he asked softly.

"Oh no!" she huffed turning pink, "let me serve it. You look exhausted, it isn't right to make you serve dinner."

She placed her hand over his on the spoon handle. Naruto chuckled at her and held onto the spoon tighter reveling in their first contact since he had gotten home.

"It's fine," he said and she relinquished her grip with a sigh, "you made us a delicious meal and I would like to at least serve you."

"Alright then," she pouted, "just a bit of this. Some of that, there. Oh, uh, one more."

She blushed adorably as Naruto put extra meat on her plate. She hadn't been really big on meat before the pregnancy but she had become simply carnivorous since getting knocked up. Something Naruto loved immensely; it meant more meat for him too and he got some weird satisfaction from over feeding his wife. He didn't ponder it too much.

He served himself and thanked Hinata again for making the meal.

"Itadakimas!" he smiled and tore at the food with his chopsticks. They prayed that their child didn't have an appetite like Naruto. All of Konoha wouldn't be capable of sustaining the two of them.

Now that Naruto had calmed down he took the moment to really feel out the atmosphere. When Naruto wanted to, he could be the most observant shinobi in all of fire country. The war had proven that. Every one of his senses was more astute thanks to his mastery of Kyuubi and thanks to his Sage training, auras and atmospheres were particularly easy to read.

However, what Naruto still lacked was the ability to understand was women, chiefly the marvelous female specimen in front of him.

Well she was angry, hurt, confused, and guilty, but mostly angry. Naruto was certain that the anger wasn't directed at him. Just in case though, he made sure to eat animatedly so his wife wouldn't catch him reading her. She didn't appreciate it when he did that; she said it was cheating.

He frowned at the collection of negative feelings. He wanted nothing more than to know what had caused them and make her forget all about it. He had just the idea.

Naruto smiled evilly to himself and began making outrageous noises of appreciation over her marvelous cooking, causing Hinata to giggle at her plate. So far so good, plan make Hina pee with laughter working.

"Oh, Hina," he moaned around a mouthful of food and made groaning noises in his throat, "you are wonderful, spectacular, heavenly!"

"stop that," she admonished him for sounding so obscene during dinner, "you are at the dinner table."

"Mmm, I can hardly take it," he continued groaning as his eyes rolled back in his head and he panted exaggeratedly, "sweet lord, Hina!"

Her hand was at her mouth as she tried to contain her giggling and sound demanding.

"Naruto," she hissed around her hand, "this is inappropriate."

"Hmmm," he swallowed the mouthful of food, "I remember us doing much worse at this table; you didn't seem to mind too much then."

"Naruto!" she exclaimed looking up from her food and finally meeting Naruto's eyes. Her eyes were wide with shock and mirth and Naruto let himself feel a moment of pride before anger and desperation gripped his very soul.

Her cheeks were blotchy and her eyes bloodshot. The delicate skin around them was puffy and an angry pink. Naruto tried not to let his appearance shift to reveal his own turmoil; she looked away immediately knowing she had been caught.

Naruto's hands fisted in place and he had to hold back every urge within him so that he stayed calm and didn't push her for an explanation or make her feel worse. He really _really_ wanted to ask what was wrong, but he knew she would tell him when she was ready. So he continued eating until his plate was empty; he had seconds and he placed his chopsticks next to his plate just like the council had told him was appropriate when one was done with their meal.

"I can do the dishes tonight," he said quietly and watched as Hinata worried her lip.

"Let's do them together," she appeased before grabbing the empty plates and standing. She walked over to the sink with her head down and Naruto couldn't help himself. He was up and behind her in an instant. He grabbed the plates out of her hands and reached over her to place them in the sink before wrapping his arms around her protectively.

He towered over her small frame, his chin on top of her head, and his hands resting over hers on her belly.

He closed his eyes and gave her a gentle and comforting squeeze.

"I miss you," he whispered into her hair and her breath hitched at his broken hearted tone, "I wish I could stay with you in this house forever. That we never had to go outside and that I could have you all to myself always."

"No you don't," said Hinata softly before her tone became harsh, "you need to be there for _all _of _Konoha_. That's what you've always wanted."

Naruto froze at the sudden anger in her tone. This had been one of his worst nightmares. How could he be a husband, father _and_ Hokage? How could _Naruto_ do all of those things _right?_ Apparently he was failing already.

"I-I am so sorry," he buried his head in her hair, "I will do better, I promise. I will be home earlier and we will eat **all** our meals together as a family and whenever you need me I promise to be there—"

"Oh god no, Naruto," She spun around in his grasp and gripped his face firmly, forcing him to look her in the eye, "that's not what I meant. Of course I don't doubt you at all. You are a perfect husband, you're going to be a wonderful father, and I know you will surpass all the kage. It's just that, oh Naruto."

"What?" he asked, wide eyed and curious as to what she had meant and what had been bothering her so much.

"It's just that there are people, even in Konoha, who still doubt you," she said quietly and with such sorrow that Naruto's own heart clenched painfully, "after all that they've put you through and that you've done for them! There are people in Konoha! that think—they think, Oh Naruto! How dare they?!"

She was shaking and there were tears in her pretty lavender eyes making them look like diamonds. No they were brighter than diamonds, they looked like twin stars burning a hole through Naruto's soul with their sincerity and intensity.

Naruto stood dumbfounded. He had always had a hard time understanding this aspect of Hinata, although it was one of his favorite things about her. No one had ever expressed such a deep seated anger and concern on behalf of Naruto in all of his life. Certainly people had cared and they had helped Naruto become stronger so that he could take care of himself, stand up, and overcome the many horrors of his life.

Hinata had been different.

She had jumped head first into Naruto's battle with Pain. She had risked her life and nearly died for him. She stood up for him when they were young and no one else would, back when she could barely stand up for herself. She saw in him a potential that he struggled sometimes to see in himself.

Where others urged Naruto to become strong enough to be alone she had made herself strong enough to stand beside him and help him endure.

She had halved his troubles and doubled his joys.

"Shh," he said holding her head to his chest, "you don't worry about them, love. It's not a hokage's job to be liked; there will always be doubt it's my job to protect all of our people no matter their opinion. Just because we won doesn't mean everythings going to be a fairy tale now. Rebuilding ourselves from the floor up is hard work."

She rubbed her teary face on his jacket and looked up at him.

"It's not right, what they said, Naruto," she sniffled, "that you are a _monster_. That there never would have been a war if it weren't for you. They blame you for the war. They even say that without the Kyuubi you wouldn't be strong, and that, that our child—our baby isn't _right._"

"Our baby?" Naruto had just been nodding his head in understanding until Hinata mentioned the baby. Now his voice was eerie with a calm intensity that bellied an anger both unnatural and terrifying, "someone told you that our baby, that you and I having a baby was wrong?"

"Oh, umm. It was just some silly civilians," Hinata tried backing up a little in his arms and was stopped by his grip, "they didn't know I was there. They were saying—"

"Saying that our unborn baby is a monster fathered by a demon that massacred our village once then was the catalyst of a full scale shinobi war. That it shouldn't be allowed near their children, in their schools or playgrounds or hospitals in the village. That it would be better off if it wasn't born at all," his voice was dripping now with barely restrained anger, "Who? Where?"

"N-Naruto!" she shouted in shock, "don't! Don't ever say those things no matter what!" she was both scared and angry. She had seen Naruto in pain and angry. She had seen him lose control and she had seen him kill. She had never witnessed the look he now had in his eyes though. It was a look that terrified her.

"Who, Hinata?" he shouted and shook her shoulders, "who said that about our baby?!"

Her hand whipped through the air with a speed that only a kunoichi could manage and it came in contact with his cheek harshly with a resounding crack. He immediately released his hold on her as his once steel blue eyes softened and his face went slack. She huffed, tearing herself from his slack grip, and rushed to their bedroom without looking back.

Their bedroom door slammed and Naruto stood there in shocked silence as the smack to his face and the door hitting the frame echoed together with a hallow resonance in his ears.

He was scared.

Terrified actually. He had never thought that his child would have to go through the type of isolation and pain that the stigma of the demon had forced him through. He never imagined that people would look at or treat his baby differently because of Kyuubi.

He figured that being the child of the hokage was going to be hard enough. He remembered how troubled Konohamaru had been with it when he was little, and the whole honorable grandson identity had haunted him. Now he was going to add being the child of a demon on top of that.

He didn't move for several minutes until the sting finally reached his face. He brought a hand up to his cheek. It was warmer were Hinata had slapped him.

She had slapped him.

His wife had slapped him in the face and he had deserved it. No, he had needed it.

Naruto sucked in a large gulp of air. Oh shit. What the fuck had he done? What was he going to do now? How did he fix this?

Not knowing what to do and needing time to think, he walked over to the sink and began to wash the dishes mechanically.

He had shouted at her, he had trapped her. Trapped her, shook her in his arms, and shouted at her. She had already been upset, crying her eyes out, and he had yelled at her.

Was she going to forgive him? Could she still look at him the same after seeing him be so very ugly? Hinata had seen everything from him already, absolutely every part of him.

That was new though; new, different, and terrifying. He had been angry and scared. He had wanted to lash out and make those people suffer. So destructive, something he had never wanted to feel. He no longer had the excuse of the Kyuubi, he was in complete control of it. All the malice was his own. In his mind though, they had threatened his child.

He remembered his own childhood, something he had let go. The looks people would give him were torture. But there were things worse than the looks. People had wanted to hurt him, to kill him. Many had tried; some had succeeded in hurting him.

He remembered how Mizuki had used him and planned to kill him. Had tried to kill him; had tried to kill Iruka-sensei for protecting him. There were others who had tried to hurt him.

There were certain parts of town Naruto couldn't go in when he was young and he couldn't be out much after dark, especially not near the bars which were unfortunately close to his dingy apartment. There were days, like his birthday, when going out would have been a death wish. He was no longer angry or hurt about these things. He had accepted and relinquished all the darkness inside of him. But suddenly—

If anyone treated Hinata or the baby that way Naruto would—what? What would he do? His immediate reaction was so strong and terrible that he wondered if it was really his own emotion or if it was something from Kyuubi. But even Kyuubi couldn't make Naruto feel that way.

He dried the dishes one by one and put them away. He pulled the stopper in the sink and watched the suds spiral before disappearing.

What was Naruto to do? What was right? How did he protect his family from this?

Were people really going to treat Hinata differently? Like a traitor, the wife of a demon? They had dealt with the Hyuuga clan when they got married. He had expected issues then, especially with the elders. It hadn't been as difficult as he thought it would be. The war had just ended, Hinata had proven herself a worthy heiress during that battle, and had garnered the respect of many. Naruto had defeated an army of undead and saved his people along with the rest of the allied forces, and world.

That had certainly helped their case, not to mention the fact that Naruto was the next hokage. Now, time had passed; doubt, fear, and hate apparently, had crept into the hearts of some.

Naruto had grown used to people doubting him, fearing, or even hating him. He wasn't afraid of proving himself and he definitely didn't want to continue a cycle of hate. His life had been geared towards breaking them.

Just now though, he had felt it. Hate. He was appalled and confused. He had scared his wife. Hurt her?

He needed to talk to somebody. He needed advice. He missed Jariya, wished he could ask his mother or father, talk to Bee about it, or go see Iruka.

He couldn't do any off those things though.

The person he was most afraid of talking to right now was the person he absolutely had to.

He had to go talk to his wife, his other, better half. That is if she would see him. He wouldn't be surprised if she locked their bedroom door. He had never had to sleep on the couch before. He didn't want to break that record now.

He walked over to their door on wooden legs and stood outside their bedroom for a long moment, he felt like he was about to walk before a firing squad after being rightly condemned. The sound of the slamming door resurfaced in his mind like a gong declaring him the loser. It was a mental lock keeping him from turning the door knob. He breathed deeply before he took the plunge.

He opened the door slowly thanking the heavens it wasn't locked and took a single step inside his head down and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I am sorry," he whispered to the floor and was met with silence, "so so so sorry."

Silence.

He slowly lifted his head and faced a wide eyed Hinata. She was in her night clothes and her face was even more blotchy and red. She just stared at him in what seemed to be shock.

"Please, forgive me," he whispered and slowly walked over to where she sat on their bed. She was staring at him in silence.

He moved between her legs which hung over the bed and he kneeled before her. His face inches before her large pregnant belly.

"please forgive me, love," he whispered placing his hands on opposite sides of her stomach and placing his forehead against it, "it's my fault and I am sorry."

"Naruto," she breathed and placed a hand on top of his head, "my poor, Naruto. It's not your fault."

"It is," he whispered, "I am an idiot. I never thought that people would think those things about you or the baby because of me, at least not after the war. How can I let them hurt you and the baby? What can I do? What's the right thing?"

"Naruto," she said quietly making him look up and face her, "you are **not** an idiot. You are a strong and brave man. The right thing—the only thing you can do is love us and be there for us and keep being who you are. You are exactly what we need. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," Naruto said quickly, "please, always tell me. Don't ever _not_ tell me when something is bothering you. I always want to know."

Hinata sighed and ran a hand through his long blonde spikes.

"I-I'm sorry for slapping you," she whispered, "It's just. Never say those things about our family. And y-you scared me."

Naruto looked up with the most distraught face his features were capable of. His forehead was scrunched, forcing his eyebrows to hook over his stormy blue eyes. His nose was slightly flared and his lips betrayed an anxious tremor. His features were always striking and here he looked the picture of contrite.

"I will never do anything like that again," he croaked, "and if I scare you. Ever. Slap me. A thousand times if you want."

She nodded her head solemnly; she didn't think she would ever have to do that again.

"What was that?" she asked hesitantly, but she wanted to know what was going on in his head to make him react so harshly. She had been upset when she had heard those things but he had seemed ready to kill.

His head bowed again, breaking their intense eye contact.

"No," Hinata said gently, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her like he was a misbehaving child, "you always want to know what is bothering me. It's only fair you always tell me what is bothering you."

His clear blue eyes searched hers for a moment while he tried to find the right words. He must have seen what he was looking for because he began to speak.

"I know what people are capable of when they are scared, confused, angry, and directing all that hate at you," he started slowly, "I know that when people feel that way that it builds up until saying hurtful things isn't enough."

His hand ran up his face and fisted into his own hair.

"I never want you are the baby to be hurt, especially not because of me. If anyone ever hurt you or the baby—I would, I," he was stumbling with his words unable to express the confusion he was feeling. This new part of him was struggling with who he was and what he was capable of.

"That's not my Naruto," Hinata said reproachfully.

Naruto sighed in defeat his hand falling limply at his sides.

"I don't know what I would do," he said quietly, "I just never want to see you hurt."

Hinata smiled and pulled on his shoulders for him to stand. He stood up and she began unzipping his jacket and pushing it off of his shoulders.

"You didn't have a mother or father to protect you and guide you then, our child does," she said after pulling his jacket sleeves all the way off and tossing it on the floor, "Our baby has the strongest father in the world, a man who, when I married him, wouldn't have worried one second about what he would do to a person who had hurt the ones he cared for. He would have sworn to never let someone hurt them in the first place. He believed he could protect all of Konoha, fire country, and the world and he had been right."

She was pulling his shirt over his head and he was only moving around enough to allow her to undress him like a sleepy child while she spoke in a lulling tone like a mother telling a bedtime story of imaginary heroic tales and the men in them. It stunned Naruto to think that what she was saying was true and about him.

"Now take off your shoes and come to bed," she urged him, "even the strongest man in the world needs to sleep every now and then."

"How?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

"How what?"

"How did I ever manage to convince you to marry me? How did I get so lucky?" Naruto was truly amazed by her as usual.

She pulled him into a gentle hug placing her head just over his heart. He automatically wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace; his hands began slowly kneading her back.

"You promised me anything and I believed you," she whispered into his chest with a smile.

He squeezed her to him and kissed the top of her head affectionately.

"You make me capable of anything," he whispered, "I love you, so much."

**AN So this is how I celebrate the end of midterms. Yay! Freedom and the end of suicidal sleepless study sessions! Back to wasting my time with things I actually enjoy but are going to get me nowhere in life. Like reading the Naruto Manga! I am soooo behind(so don't spoil it). This chap didn't really have much forward motion but it was necessary. Don't you just love lover's quarrels? Ah, the freshly wed are so sweet and delusional. Stay tuned because eventually the plot will thicken.**

**-Glerb**

**(pssst. Pssst. You! Yeah, you. I know you want to review. Just do it. Who's it gonna hurt? Say anything, anything at all.)**


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